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and the day started out so good

it was ealry saturday 10/6. we got a call from a man wanting to buy our old gibson. we went up river 8 miles to bring it down to take it out and winterize it for him before he came down with the money. it was absolutley beautiful out, the river was calm, the trees were changing color.
we made it down to the only lock on the muskingum we had to go through. they had the doors open for me and we slid right it. we chatted with the lock master while he lowered us to lower pool level.he opened the door and we slid out at a idle. we stayed between the channel markers and into the river. then....... crunch and we stopped. we hit something submerged at a idle and it killed the starboard engine. i restarted it and put it in geer....nothing.... i raised the engine hatch to find a foot of water and rising.the bilge pump was running at full throttle. i looked again and my starboard prop shaft was gone and water was pouring in. i told my wife " this is not a drill were sinking".i grabbed some rags and plugged the hole. the water was lowering . i thought we were ok since we still had 5 miles to go....but ohhhhhh no. the rudder had also hit and put a 4 inch crack in the hull where water was also pouring into. well i couldnt plug that hole but the bilge pump was now keeping up.
i made a frantic call to the man that pulls us out every year and found him at home. he thought i was kidding when i told him i was sinking. after several minutes i convinced him i wasnt kidding he said to go slow and he would meet me at the ramp. with the rudder bent back it was very difficult to steer at best but we made it to the ramp. the wind was blowing up river at 15 mph and we had one motor and part of a rudder but some how we got it loaded. we have a growling in the tranny on the port side,the starboard prop and shaft gone,the starboard rudder bent and a crack in the hull on the starboard side. now i have to find someone to fix it. ....but.....we didnt sink. it was a good day,by the way....my wife will never go up river again.......lol

i never had anything that bad happen before. we travel these waters all the time. i sure dont want to experience it again.now we have to have all the drive mechanisms checked and find someone capable of finding everything thats wrong and fix it correctly. should be meeting with the adjuster this week.

he came and looked at the boat,took alot of pictures. he said i was covered but he prefered to have it hauled to maybe pittsburgh to a full service marina so they can get it inside and fix the obvious problems then put it in the water and see what drive damage it has.i havent heard back from him yet.

the boat is still @ fox chapel. i would NEVER take a boat to them again! after 3 months the only thing that is done is the fiberglass work,the rudder,prop and shaft replaced.i went up saturday and they had pulled the boat outside which is fine but they didnt even put the cockpit cover back on,the flybridge is half hooked up,the inside of the boat is filthy,the engines are covered with gelcoat dust from the hull repairs. it was supposed to be water tested friday,then it was today,then its tomorrow. its always some kind of excuse. i cant wait to get it out of there!!!!!!